AND DAI\lNY BRIERLEY

A LONDON magistrate has

accused court colleagues of being

racist and more likely to send

black people to jail. .

Iris Josiah, originally from

Antigua, said racism was common

on the bench and that some of her

fellow JPs at Enfield magistrates'

court tried to block her promotion.

also more likely to find black

defendants guilty, irrespective of

evidence, and refuse them bail.

She claimed she was often

ignored during deliberations on

the fate of black defendants.

Miss Josiah, an English teacher,

of Palmers Green, is seeking".

_ discrimination and victimisation,

which the Ministry of Justice

denies.

She became a JP at Enfield in

she said court chiefs blocked her

career path. In legal papers

submitted to a Stratford

Racedaim:

English

teacher Iris

Josiah says

black

people are

harshly

, treated

ather

magistrates

court

about the alleged racism of one

female JP to her bosses. As a

result, she says she was banned

from sitting in the remand courts

because the alleged incident had

taken place in one of them.

She added; "Since this incident, I

have been subject to ongoing

unfair treatment, racism,

victimisation and harassment by

senior members of Enfield

magistrates' court."

Magistrates are eligible to

become court chairmen once they

have served for four years and

But she says that her promotionhas

been blocked while her white

counterparts-were given every

opportunity to progress.

She says that colleagues dragged

out the appraisal process she had

to undertake for six years to block

her. Miss Josiah has still not been

appointed a court chairman and

claims that other black

magistrates have been deliberately

overlooked too.

. She brought her tribunal claim

in February last year and her case

is due to be heard this year.

SENIORpolicemen have admitted that

some officers are guilty of "racist

stereotyping" and "unwitting prejudice"

in a document that will fuel the

debate about alleged racism in forces.

In a confidential briefing paper, the

Association of Chief Police Officers,

says that "ignorance of difference" and

"thoughtlessness" are further problems

which are blighting attitudes to the

ethnic minorities.

It also concedes that there are "cultural

barriers" within the police for '

non-white staff and that reforms are

needed to ensure that forces across the

country are "more tolerant" and value

difference.

The document, which is marked "not

to bepublished externally or to be given

out to the media", also emphasises that

progress is being made and that such

problems are isolated.

But the Met is already facing claims

of racist discrimination against its two

most senior Asian officers and calls by

the Black Police Association for potential

ethnic recruits to shun the force.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last

night announced a nationwide review

of the treatment of ethnic minority

officers. And the country's only black

curno.

The' potentially lethal weapons are

often converted bycriminals to fire real .

bullets, and can be bought easily in

high-street shops and on websites.

The Met said it was investigating and

that police searched a nearby house

which the attacker was seen going into.

No one has been arrested. -

<~

MARTIN BENTHAM -

Home Affairs Editor

chief constable,MikeFuller of the Kent

force, a former senior Met officer, has

added to the controversy by claiming

in a Panorama documentary that ethnic

minority officers in London have to

work twice as hard to gain promotion.

The Association of Chief PoliceOfficers

document, which was sent out inad-

.vertently by email, was drawn up in

response to the programme and sets out

the "lines to take" when trying to deal

with the criticisms it contains,

It concedes that although recruitment

of ethnic minority officers has

improved Significantly, "retention and

progression" remains the "biggest challenge"

faced by forces and warns that

problems with "institutional racism"

and "police culture" remain.

"If the police service is considered

'institutionally racist' on the basis that

some of our processes: behaviour or

attitudes show signs of thoughtlessness,

ignorance of difference, racist

stereotyping or unwitting prejudice

then yes, there are signs that this still

is the case on some occasions," the

document states.

employment tribunal, she says: "I

witnessed the hostile treatment of

black defendants 'by some fellow

magistrates.

"It included harsh remarks,

severe sentencing, disregard for

personal mitigation and easy

findings of guilt, irrespective of

evidence. They were most likely to.

be refused bail and most likely to

be sentenced to prison."

Miss Josiah said she confronted

some of her colleagues over their

"unfair practices relating to black

defendants" and sidelining of her

she formally raised her concerns